Conroy won his singles match, beating Mark Farrell of Smith Richardson GC. Conroy also won the four-ball match with teammate Jeff Schroeder of Madison CC over Farrell and Ian Marshall of Watertown GC.

"I'm excited and honored to be invited to play in this," Conroy said. "Playing at this golf course is a treat. I really like the match-play format."

Conroy, 23, transferred from Coker College in Hartsville, S.C., to Delaware after two years. He was a senior captain for the Blue Hens and the only senior on the roster.

He finished this season with a 75.81 stroke average and will graduate this spring with a degree in finance. Before that happens, he will return to Connecticut, the CC of Waterbury course to be specific, to play in the Russell Palmer Cup, an amateur-only event.

It was his play last summer that earned him a spot on the CSGA team for the Challenge Cup. Conroy tied for second at the CSGA Tournament of Champions, lost in a playoff to qualify for the U.S. Amateur and tied for 23rd at the Connecticut Open.

He may be most remembered for reaching the finals of the Connecticut Amateur at Race Brook CC in Orange last June, losing to Matt Smith in the 36-hole final. The Amateur will be played at New Haven CC June 17-21 this year.

Conroy said he will try again to qualify for the U.S. Amateur and likely play in the Connecticut Open in addition to the state amateur, the Palmer Cup, and some other tournaments, His primary focus will be working as an assistant pro and in the pro shop at CC of Woodbridge this summer. Then in the fall, Conroy will turn pro and begin his PGA apprentice program in order to become a head golf professional.

The Challenge Cup is more than about competition. It's about camaraderie between the two sides. That's something Conroy had plenty of during his long trips in the van with the rest of his college teammates.

"People can underestimate what camaraderie means on a golf team," Conroy said. "We drove to every tournament, so sometimes we could spend between 5-7 hours in the van with your teammates. I'll miss the laughing and joking with teammates, hearing their stories about the rounds of golf that sort of adds to the entire experience. Taking on that senior leadership role with a little more responsibility, I enjoyed it. I will really miss all of it."

In other Challenge Cup matches, the New Haven CC amateur duo of Ben Day and Paul Giordano fell to pros Ralph Salito (The Club at River Oaks) and Fran Marrello (Quaboag CC). New Haven CC head pro Bill Wallis and Race Brook CC head pro Paul Barnsley halved their match with amateurs Brian Ahern (Wampanoag CC) and Philip Perry (Black Hall Club).